Philippine E-Journals

Parasocial Relationships with Celebrities Towards Maintaining Romantic Satisfaction

Lareyn P. Hernandez | Alessandra Amier Bañadera

Discipline: psychology (non-specific)

 

Abstract:

Parasocial relationships are a one-sided emotional connection that a person has with idolized celebrities where they invest time, energy, and attention while the other person is completely unaware of the other's existence. On the other hand, romantic relationships are defined as two people engaging in a mutually expressed, continuous, and voluntary interaction marked by intimacy and affection. The researchers anticipate looking into the issues and dynamics associated with newer forms of media engagement in influencing people's perceptions and behaviors within their romantic relationships which will contribute to a more nuanced and up to date understanding of the topic. This is because media platforms are growing rapidly, and social media is becoming increasingly important in fostering parasocial relationships. The researchers used Hendrick's Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) to measure participant satisfaction with their current romantic relationship and the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS) to measure participants' level of admiration for their favorite celebrity. This research uses an explanatory sequential mixed method design that combines methods for collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. To gain a deeper understanding of participants' experiences, the researchers employed a phenomenological research approach in the qualitative phase, while in the initial quantitative phase, they employed a descriptive research design. The researchers then conducted interviews to analyze and comprehend the information gathered. Finally, the study's findings indicate negative correlations between relationship satisfaction and the three parasocial dimensions. These correlations suggest that people's perceived satisfaction with romantic relationships tends to decline as they become more involved in parasocial relationships.